Dangote Refinery: PENGASSAN backs NUPENG, threatens strike
The Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, PENGASSAN, has declared full solidarity with the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers, NUPENG.
The industrial dispute between NUPENG, and the Dangote Refinery has taken a new turn with PENGASSAN also issuing a strike threat to shut down the refinery’s operations if the company continues to resist unionisation.
PENGASSAN’s General Secretary, Lumumba Okugbawa, in a statement on Monday expressed solidarity with NUPENG, describing the denial of workers’ right to unionise at Dangote Refinery as unacceptable and a direct violation of Nigerian labour laws and international conventions.
“On behalf of the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, PENGASSAN, we are writing to express our unwavering solidarity with our ally and sister union, the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG), in their ongoing efforts to secure the rights of tanker drivers who are currently being hired at the Dangote Refinery.
“We wish to put on record that Dangote Refinery management has been resisting potential members of both PENGASSAN and NUPENG from joining the Association since its inception. All diplomatic efforts to persuade the company’s management have so far not yielded the desired result.
“It is with deep concern that PENGASSAN observes the increasing resistance to unionisation at the Dangote Refinery, as the continued denial of workers’ rights will no longer be tolerated going forward,” the statement read.
The association warned that unless the refinery’s management changes its stance, it would be left with no option but to join NUPENG in a showdown that could cripple refinery operations.
Dangote Refinery: PENGASSAN backs NUPENG, threatens strike
